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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29887749">The City that Only Sleeps</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/redmacallan/pseuds/redmacallan'>redmacallan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Monkey Island, Psychonauts (Video Games), Puzzle Agent (Video Games), Sam &amp; Max (Comics), Sam &amp; Max (Video Games), The Adventures of Sam &amp; Max: Freelance Police (Cartoon), Wildcards AU - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Psychics/Psionics, Autistic Max, Gen, Implied/Referenced Depression, Light Angst, M/M, also sasha/milla is happening but it's not shippy, because what is more trans than dressing like they do and asking people to use a nickname, but dw they're all okay mostly, geek uses they/them pronouns, meltdowns, pyrokinesis, so i didn't tag out of respect</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:00:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,079</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29887749</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/redmacallan/pseuds/redmacallan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was still silent as Max's hand moved, gently, on Sam's chest, digging into the short fur. It was silent as his eyes twitched behind his eyelids, and his ears followed in turn, as if tracking some invisible enemy. It was silent as his partner did the same, clasping their hands together unconsciously, his face scrunching up as if in pain, Max's breath getting faster, every muscle in both of their bodies getting tighter and tighter like a rubber band about to snap-<br/>It was not silent when Max screamed, and their bodies hit the ceiling with a dull thump.</p>
<p>Sam and Max get stuck in their own nightmares, and it's up to the Psychonauts- and the Geek- to get them out.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Max/Sam (Sam &amp; Max)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The City that Only Sleeps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hey! this fic is based off of genalovestoons' wildcards au, which you can find here: https://genalovestoons.tumblr.com/tagged/Wildcard+AU/</p>
<p>however, the short version of it is that lots of video game characters a) exist in the psychonauts universe and b) are psychics. there you go!</p>
<p>this fic is pretty sam and max-centric, so if you only know them, you should be okay! however, i do recommend checking out the au, because i think it's really good! :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The apartment was quiet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was, in fact, a rarity. Sam had an annoying habit of working late, his unerring sense of duty egging him along into sorting through paperwork and evidence. He'd tap his pen as he worked, hum a little, maybe have the TV running in the background, and so it wasn't quiet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek had the opposite habit of getting up early. They'd wake up to talk to foreign leaders throughout the world, or to work on an experiment that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> more important than sleep, they </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> sleep was important, they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>dads</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max, well… he was Max. The guy didn't make noise so much as noises simply tended to occur when he was around. Whether it was gunshots, shouting, or just the crinkling of a packet of chips, he was often the cause.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>None of these, however, were the case that night. All of the members of the household were fast asleep in their beds. Perhaps, if you were very close, you could've heard the soft snores of one of the Freelance Police- though they'd have both denied it and blamed the other- but nothing else. It would've been difficult to get that close, however, as the two were pretty tightly tangled, holding each other as they slept.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was still silent as Max's hand moved, gently, on Sam's chest, digging into the short fur. It was silent as his eyes twitched behind his eyelids, and his ears followed in turn, as if tracking some invisible enemy. It was silent as his partner did the same, clasping their hands together unconsciously, his face scrunching up as if in pain, Max's breath getting faster, every muscle in both of their bodies getting tighter and tighter like a rubber band about to snap-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was not silent when Max screamed, and their bodies hit the ceiling with a dull thump.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek's eyes snapped open at the sound. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They'd never been a deep sleeper, but the noise was loud enough to wake the neighbors. They stared at the ceiling for a few moments. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Science</span>
  </em>
  <span>, they thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>is about finding patterns. If I hear something else, it's a pattern.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They waited. Nothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And if there are any two creatures who aren't bound by the same science as the rest of us,</span>
  </em>
  <span> they thought again, </span>
  <em>
    <span>it's Sam and Max.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They tiptoed out of bed- they shivered, cold this time of night- and towards their dads' room. The door was open a crack, as usual, and through it, they could see a faint glow, and could feel… something, something powerful and reckless and undeniably </span>
  <em>
    <span>psychic</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their hand shook on the handle. As they opened the door, they saw...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something. Just something, something definitely bad and out of what they could do and somehow it </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>psychically</span>
  </em>
  <span>, could they even do that, as they stumbled for Sam's clunky cellphone on the side table and dialed a number they, by now, knew off by heart, and it rang once, twice, until on the other end-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"This is an unexpected-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mister Mein?" Their voice shook. Their voice never shook.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, Mx. Gugenheek-" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I think something's wrong. W-with my dads."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The reply was immediate. "I'm on my way."</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>"Well, Agent Tethers, this is perhaps not the most… ideal way to meet, but I would like to introduce you to Sam and Max, Freelance Psychic Detectives." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson stared at the scene. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Agent Nein had warned him in the car that it sounded bad. The looks on agents' Vodello and Threepwood's faces as they sped across to New York had said the same thing. Everyone except him knew these two already, and this… this wasn't normal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"They're two of the most powerful psychics out there," Guybrush had said, a mix of admiration and confusion in his voice. "How the heck are they doing something like getting stuck in a </span>
  <em>
    <span>nightmare</span>
  </em>
  <span>? That's basic stuff."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Their minds are unique." Sasha's face was unreadable as usual. "And, Agent, I would remind you that the same happened to you only a few years ago-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey! One, while I'm good, I'm not-" he waved his hook wildly- "</span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span> good, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>two</span>
  </em>
  <span>, that was caused by someone else! But you're sitting here and telling us that it's just a normal nightmare, no attack-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes. I am telling you that."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But you can't expect us to believe it!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This whole time, Milla had been silent in the front seat. Nelson could see her reflection in the small mirror above her, as she stared out at the road, worry etched into her face. She was clearly having the same thoughts as Guybrush, if only silently, and with more grace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sasha sighed, reluctant and controlled. "In any case, Miss Vodello and I will be the ones directly solving the issue. Yourself and Tethers are only here to take care of the child."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Guybrush made a noise as if he wanted to do a spot take without any water. "You're bringing us all this way along to </span>
  <em>
    <span>babysit</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the first time, Nelson spoke up. "And two of us? Sir, it does seem like overkill to-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"The child is psychic, highly intelligent, and likely traumatised to some extent. I would not leave them alone while we investigate, and to place all the responsibility on one agent seems unnecessary when I could bring two." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Milla cut in. “And perhaps it will be a good bonding experience for you two. As partners.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Guybrush frowned, but said nothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They reached Straight Street mid morning, climbing up to the third floor and knocking on the door to their office. A kid- dammit, Nelson didn't remember their name- opened the door gingerly, only showing a flash of shocking red hair and a single, nervous eye. Their gaze darted around, before settling on Sasha.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh. Agent Nein, hi, did-" they opened the door slightly- "did you bring other people with you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes." Sasha was always one to be blunt. "Agent Vodello here, I believe you've met. She will be helping me with your fathers. And Agents Threepwood and Tethers are here to help you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kid frowned. "But I'm not the one-" they stuttered and trailed off, seemingly unable to find a good way to describe what was happening- "I'm not the one that needs help."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, maybe not psychically, darling," said Milla, “but they are still adults, and it would not be responsible of us to leave you without an adult.” She looked over at Nelson and Guybrush. “Or two.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kid still didn't look convinced. They paused a moment, eyes pointed down, before sighing and opening the door anyway. "Come on in."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The office was… well, there was no way to put it politely, a mess. The kid stepped around the piles of papers and seemingly random objects (a charred bear, a- was that the north pole?!), making their way to a second, ajar door at the other end of the room, leading into a corridor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Da- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sam and Max</span>
  </em>
  <span>," they said, pointedly, "are in there." They pointed to one of the doors on the corridor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then let’s go in," said Sasha.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson, stuck at the back, was the furthest from the door, but he could see the kid trying to hide their apprehension. One of their hands clung to the bottom of their waistcoat, worrying at the fabric as their mouth twitched, clearly trying to keep quiet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nudged Guybrush- physically, rather than psychically, as he was still getting used to it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Huh?" The blonde man blinked at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson said nothing, just looking pointedly at the kid.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Guybrush narrowed his eyes, confused. "Wha-" He turned his head, looked the kid up and down, and apparently came to the same conclusion. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>." He walked the few places over to the child. "Hey, uh, Geek, right? You don't have to go in there if you don't want to. We can stay out here!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, I… I want to be there, it's just…"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, I get it! And don't worry, we'll all be here with you." He gave the kid a thumbs up, which would've been more effective if he hadn't been using his hook. "And hey, Nelly over here's only just discovered his powers! So he'll probably be more scared than you are-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Guybrush!" Nelson Tethers was not a man who raised his voice, but he sure sounded like he wanted to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What, it's true!" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's not-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Boys?" Milla spoke, her hand on the doorknob. "If you're both quite ready?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Guybrush and Nelson both looked down at the Geek. They nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Seems like we are," Guybrush replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Wonderful."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door creaked open, unsettlingly slowly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt it before he saw it. It was like standing with the wind coming towards you, but in your mind, a swirling ocean of fear and confusion held at bay only by the beach. Or, in this case, held at bay by the fact that Sam and Max were both floating six feet above the bed, and he wasn't in either of their minds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Speaking of which-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam and Max were floating six feet above the bed. At least, he assumed that was Sam and Max, as he hadn't met either before. A swirling mass of pure psychic energy emanated from them, keeping them suspended but also spilling out like tendrils from their bodies, evaporating into the air. Their hands were clutched tightly, the only point of contact between them as their bodies strained in the air, fighting uselessly against an invisible enemy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, Agent Tethers, this is perhaps not the most… ideal way to meet, but I would like to introduce you to Sam and Max, Freelance Psychic Detectives." Sasha's voice was flat as always.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Nice to meet you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Nelson thought. He didn't say it, though in a room full of psychics, there was little difference between the two.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone's minds were fixed on the display on front of them. Sasha looked on in a kind of clinical, detached way. Milla's eyes were closed, likely focusing on emotions or something like that- Nelson still wasn't sure- and Guybrush stared at the scene with the air of someone who was witnessing something he really didn't want to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek just stared, unblinking, terrified.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay. Time to do your job, Nelson</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought. He projected his thoughts towards them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>If you want to leave, we, uh, can.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He was still getting used to communicating through his mind alone. The reply took a few seconds, almost to the point where he wasn't sure if he'd done it right, but-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I don't want to leave. I want them to be okay again, </span>
  </em>
  <span>came the reply. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And I can't help from out in the corridor.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, Agents Nein and Vodello are on the case, so. You likely don't need to help-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>They don't know my parents like I do. And even I don't fully know how their brains work, it's a unique, messy balance, so this isn't routine-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Guybrush's voice came through. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kid's right. Sasha's claiming this is a simple thing, but it's not. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson glared at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What are you doing here?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You're not exactly great at this. Everyone in the room can pick up on your thoughts right now, you're basically doing the psychic equivalent of yelling.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Geek, this time- </span>
  <em>
    <span>He's right. You aren't very good at this.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson huffed. "I was trying to-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mx. Gugenheek?" Sasha's voice again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Y-" Geek took a second to shake themselves out of insulting Nelson- "Yes?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm aware you're quite the scientist, yes? Including observing your fathers?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sure." The nervousness was back in their voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And you noticed nothing unusual from either of them recently?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"N-no. I don't think so, I could…" They fiddled with their hands. "I could go over my notes, but there's not much there. I was only observing, not running experiments, and even then it was just them showing me around, so-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's quite alright. It makes no difference-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But it does make a difference, doesn't it, Agent Nein?" Nelson looked over. The kid was glaring at the floor now, hands in fists by their side. "Because stuff like this isn't meant to happen to- to people like them who are good psychics, and if it does that means-" they blinked rapidly, willing away tears- "that means something's really, really, wrong, and it means-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Milla floated down and towards Geek. "No, no, darling, it doesn't mean that, not always." She placed a hand on their shoulder. "It will be alright, we can fix it, we will see what they need."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sasha spoke up. "And, in general, it is best not to jump to conclusions without sufficient evidence. There is little to suggest that this is something especially serious-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sasha!" Milla's voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, little except all the circumstances, and the people it's happening to, and-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Threepwood!" Milla again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson felt, more than ever, like someone listening in on a conversation he was barely a part of.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Regardless," said Sasha, clearing his throat, "it seems there isn't much else we can do from here. Agent Vodello and myself will enter their minds in just a moment-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"...I'm going in too."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everybody stared at Geek. Even Sasha managed to look shocked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You're what?! </span>
  </em>
  <span>thought Nelson.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're what?!" said Guybrush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No." said Sasha and Milla in unison.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max let out a short, pained whine from where he was floating.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek glared back at them all cool. "I</span>
  <em>
    <span> have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to. I know my way around their minds better than any of you, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> they work differently to everyone else's-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course, each brain is unique, darling, but-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Not just unique, Miss Vodello! They're </span>
  <em>
    <span>linked</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you can walk right from one into the other, and they showed me that, and they said it means that- that if one of them hurts the other does too, and that's </span>
  <em>
    <span>clearly</span>
  </em>
  <span> what's happening here so why are you turning down the one person who knows how to find where all of </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> need to </span>
  <em>
    <span>help them?!</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sasha and Milla looked at each other. Emotions flashed across their faces- well, Milla's face, at least- as they spoke psychically. Concern, fear, surprise, and, finally, a sort of sad resignation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"...We can't let you put yourself in danger, darling, but-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek opened their mouth, ready to argue, until Sasha spoke- "but we recognise that this is a… specific case. Your parents are unlikely, even in this state, to deliberately trap you in their minds, and so I will be instructing our agents here-" he gestured to Guybrush and Nelson- "to drag you out at the first sign of danger. Until then-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Milla again. "-we would be glad to have a guide."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek's frown lingered on their face for a few moments, until they nodded, steeling their features into something blank and unreadable. "Then I'll do my best."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thank you, sweetheart," said Milla, placing a hand on their shoulder. "That's all we ask, okay? Don't push yourself; that's what we're here for."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek needed silently. For a moment, there was nothing but the hum of powerful psychic energy in the air, and the short, pained breaths from the two people currently levitating.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The moment didn't last, as moments never do. Sasha took out a psycho-portal from his pocket. "Let's go."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The group turned to face the two detectives. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Let's </span>
  </em>
  <span>lay unspoken in the air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two doors made a small, dull noise as they landed on Sam and Max's heads, sticking to them. The doors swung open, a soft glow emanating from each one. Nelson had done this many times before- Guybrush had a habit of inviting him into his mind just to play pranks on him- but he'd never felt a feeling quite like this, as if he was being dragged in two places at once and then taped back together again on the other side. He certainly wasn't the best empath, but from the feelings he was getting from everyone else, they felt the same way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone except the Geek, of course, whose emotions remained steady- afraid, but resolved.</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>His vision was always blurry for the first few seconds. No matter how often he astral projected, he could never quite focus immediately, needing to take a few seconds to blink and clear his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they cleared, he could see…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The office they'd just been in?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The mind version actually seemed neater, which was unusual. Minds tended to be messy, if anything. Badges and trophies adorned more of the walls, although there was also a far amount of random items, seemingly uncurated and scattered at random. Nelson turned around, realising he was standing in front of where the corkboard should be- and yes, there were articles pinned up, a photo of Max beaming at something now hidden by a coffee stain, a photo of a much younger Geek in a Whispering Rock shirt, and a photo of all three of them, clearly posed and at some event.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No one else was looking too closely at the board, however, investigating their own parts of the room, sticking their heads out of the window, or, in the Geek's case, barely looking around at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"This is Sam's version of the office," they announced. All heads turned to look at them. "Max's is the one across the corridor- it's mirrored."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Is that the case for their minds as a whole?" asked Sasha.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek shook their head. "No. Just this part. From here it gets... twisty." They turned and walked out. "Come on."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The group followed, led by Milla, with Guybrush trailing at the back, looking at everything with a mix of awe and concern.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Twisty was an understatement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The stairs went up, then down, then over the top, like an MC Escher painting. Geek ignored them entirely, levitating down to the bottom a little shakily, but safely. As Nelson followed, he looked at the other office across the hallway, the door off its hinges, something burning from within it, and the smell of… something delicious, actually? Strange.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Out in the street, things weren't much better. Straight Street was pretty far from actually being straight, twisting up and down, corkscrewing and overlapping on itself, great cracks in the pavement dividing the street into sections. Some of the stores looked like they’d been painted by two people having an argument, with vastly clashing colours on either side. The only thing that didn’t seem like a mix of two different ideas was the car parked in front of the office, dented by a parking meter but aesthetically consistent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The city stretched out before them like an unravelling jumper. The place was a mess.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So where are we going, exactly?" asked Guybrush from the back of the group.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"They-" Geek stuttered over their own words for a moment, "They showed me where they uh, keep their nightmares. I didn't go in, but if they're anywhere, it's probably there, right?" They looked at Milla and Sasha, as if for reassurance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two of them nodded back at the kid.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay, then…" Geek trailed off. "Let's go."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson followed as the group began to walk, twisted round the streets of a sleepless city-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Kid's more shaken than they're letting on. Also try not to yell when you reply. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson scowled, but it faded into concern as he steadied his mind to reply. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey, you're getting better!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>What about the kid, Guybr-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh! Yeah, the kid's scared as all hell. Can't blame them, this is one heck of a strange mind, and to be in it with people you don't know…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>...And the whole uh. Parents thing, surely?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, that too! Though we can't be sure. I can just detect the emotions-</span>
  </em>
  <span> he somehow waggled the fingers of his nonexistent hand, psychically- </span>
  <em>
    <span>not figure out the source.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>We still have the power of deduction though.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Pffff, you might! I lost that years ago. Along with the hand.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Guybrush looked up at where they were going. "Woah, hey. Lady Liberty looks a little different than how I remember her. Less, uh… head than this morning."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was true. The Statue of Liberty stood proud and tall in the distance, torch raised, but her head resting on the ground beneath her feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Seems the New York of their minds is stuck at a different point in time," said Sasha. "Not unusual, though unexpected to have it be quite so specific-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek cut in. "That's uh. Where we're going, actually."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a moment of silence. Guybrush scrunched up his face for a second as he connected the dots. "Wait. They keep their nightmares in the Statue of Liberty?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek nodded. "Y-yeah, they…" They steeled themselves. "They never told me what, but something bad happened there. For both of them." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Milla nodded. "I remember some mentions of it around Psychonauts headquarters. It was messy, whatever happened." She looked out at the statue with a mix of curiosity and sadness. "They went freelance soon after.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When they met me, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Milla's face was soft and fond, smiling at Geek. “Yes. I... believe you were their final push to go, darling.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek said nothing. They picked at something on their hands, and kept on walking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>New York in this state was a slightly different walk than the real one. The distances between places kept shifting and changing, streets going different colours as you walked halfway down them, buildings plopped down in places they definitely shouldn’t have been.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While these were cosmetic at best and annoying at worst, the city of Sam and Max’s minds did have one advantage- it had a long, winding bridge across to Liberty Island, rather than them all having to levitate across or wait for a psychic ferry. If those even existed here, of course. It didn’t seem like this was a part of their minds either of them went to much, at least willingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They reached the statue with minimal interruptions. A few cracks in the path and a couple of stray censors weren’t too hard to deal with for anyone, and they soon found themselves at the base of the statue, faced with two doors up to the top. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is as far as I’ve been,” said Geek, “but they said the actual nightmares were in there.” They pointed up to the top of the statue. “There’s a room or something up there that you can reach by climbing up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even to his untrained psychic eye, Nelson could feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> was up there. The air felt at once cold and stifling, any sounds save the group’s own breathing long since faded away as they stood and stared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Milla was the first to move, taking Geek’s hand. “Come on, darling. Are you going to go?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek nodded, and the group began to move.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The stairs up to the top were long and winding, just like the rest of the city, with a layer of cold oily slime covering the steps. The handrail wasn’t any help either, small electric shocks jumping out from it at random to anyone unlucky enough to be touching it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, slowly, they reached the room at the top where the energy was strongest. Sasha reached for the door, and it creaked open frustratingly slowly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There, being attacked by nightmares, were Sam and Max.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room was circular, dimly lit- nightmare rooms tended to be like this, Nelson remembered- but unusual was the sheet of glass down the centre of it, going so far as to split the door in half, with just enough room for a person to wiggle into either side. Sam was on one side, backed up against the glass, with Max on the other, their bodies faced away from each other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both looked like shit, too. Sam was shaking, arms held up to defend himself from the nightmare but refusing to fight back, in spite of the gun in his hand, or his array of psychic abilities. Max looked worse, if anything, not even bothering to defend himself. His arms were wrapped around himself as he looked towards his nightmare and laughed, and laughed, and laughed, without even a hint of humour. There were the remains of tears on both their cheeks, though sadness seemed to have given way to exhaustion in both their cases.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson had the distinct feeling that it was wrong to have brought Geek here, but he also knew there was nothing he could say to get the kid to leave. Even as their hands shook and their eyes darted around the place, their feet remained planted firmly on the ground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No-one spoke for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Those are just normal nightmares, aren’t they?” Geek said, quietly. “They- they look just like mine. Not bigger, or stronger, or-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” said Sasha, with less fear and more intellectual curiosity in his voice. “From my initial analysis, it appears so.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then why aren’t they fighting back?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson, who’d been listening to the conversation, had his thoughts interrupted by Guybrush doing the psychic equivalent of elbowing him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hey. Check this out.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Check what out-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Guybrush projected what he was seeing into Nelson’s mind. He was using some kind of clairvoyance or empathy? Regardless of what it was, the sight before them was very different than what they’d originally seen. Sam was still cowered in the corner, exhausted and defending himself, but not from a nightmare-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>...Is that a-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>20 foot tall, green, monstrous version of Max? Looks like it, right?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Yep. And did you check uh, Max?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sure did! He’s fighting- or not, I guess- a Sam. This one’s got electricity powers or something, it’s neat.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Clearly not to him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Guybrush jumped back to his own body, Tethers could see Milla looking equally concerned. Trust the empaths to both figure it out first, he supposed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sasha clearly had not figured it out, and Milla either hadn't told him or he wasn't listening. "This should be simple, then," he said, squeezing through the gap in the glass over to Sam's side. He took a few steps, the nightmare turning to face him with a deep growl, and as he readied to shoot-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam turned, his eyes having followed the nightmare. He growled, brandishing his gun. "No. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No-</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He pointed at Sasha, hand shaking. "You can't kill him. He's still-" and he pulled the trigger, psychic energy jumping out from the tip- "He's still in there, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>can't</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sasha was totally unprepared, letting out a cry as the psychic blast hit him straight in the shoulder and knocked him back. Distracted by shooting Sasha, Sam hadn’t noticed the nightmare creeping up on him again, and cried out too as it lashed out, hooking its claws into his back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sasha staggered back to the split in the glass. He was panting, slowly getting the pain under control. “Mil- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Agent Vodello</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I expect you have some kind of explanation for why one of our agents just attacked me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Milla looked at him with a kind of fond, exasperated look. “I do, darling, and you would have heard it if you hadn’t decided to run off on your own.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re just </span>
  <em>
    <span>nightmares</span>
  </em>
  <span>, even </span>
  <em>
    <span>Razputin</span>
  </em>
  <span> took those down when he wasn’t even fully trained-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, Sasha,” she replied, hands on her hips, “but that’s not what they’re seeing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sasha went very still for a moment. Nelson couldn’t see his eyes through the dark sunglasses he always wore, but he could imagine the glazed look people got when they were having something projected visually to them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Ah.” He said. He turned to Guybrush and Nelson. “And I suppose you two figured this out, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep!” said Guybrush, a little too cheerfully to a man who’d just been shot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” asked the Geek, glaring at the adults around them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your fathers </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> just facing normal nightmares, sweetheart, but they’re seeing them as versions of each other,” said Milla. She had a kind of sad smile on her face. “Which is very sweet... And very difficult for us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sasha looked at the kid. “Though, in fact, you being here could prove useful. Agents Threepwood, Tethers?” He turned to look at them instead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir?” replied Nelson.</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>The plan was as follows; protect the kid, walk up to Max, let them get his attention for a few seconds, and then shoot the nightmare as quickly as they could. It wasn’t the most solid of plans, and Nelson couldn’t help but feel a bit like cannon fodder, though he tried not to think about that too hard. One, because it scared him, but two, because if he thought the phrase “cannon fodder” too much, Guybrush would probably start talking about pirates the whole time, and he didn’t need that distracting him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Step one of protecting Geek from the nightmare was going well so far. Nightmares were actually good at only attacking the people whose minds they were in, making Nelson’s job a lot easier, but also creating his job in the first place, he thought. Still, as they got closer, the nightmare started glancing in their direction, unwilling to have its prey stolen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You remember how to use your psychic shield, right?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I hope so.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Guybrush laughed over their mental link. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Great. Use it as soon as you can get the kid and Max in it, and then hold it as long as you can. Got it?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes, Agent-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Captain Threepwood, please.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>...I’m not calling you that.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were just a few steps away now. Even with his dulled, imprecise senses, Nelson could feel the tangible surge of emotions all around. Max’s fear, mingled with Sam’s on the other side of the glass, something guilty and sickly and tired, which then mingled with the nervousness and resolve coming from Geek. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, they were close enough, Nelson and Geek taking that final step, close enough to Max that a shield would protect them. The nightmare roared, angry that something had stepped between it and its target, charging towards the group just as Nelson threw up the shield and squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on maintaining his defenses.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek wasted no time. They nudged Max’s shoulder gently, their hands shaking a little. “Max? Dad?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max’s eyebrows rose at the sound of their voice in surprise, before his face fell. He squinted at Geek, as if he was trying to determine if they were really there or not, then down at the floor and his own hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t long, and he said nothing, but it was enough. Guybrush hit the nightmare in one shot, leaving it staggering back and melting into the floor; not gone, but a shell of what it had been mere moments before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson dropped the shield. Max was suddenly alert, looking round in a second wave of panic, his eyes coming to rest on Sam and his nightmare. Wordlessly, almost silently, he made his decision, looking at the nightmare on the other side of the glass with pure fury, his fists clenched-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then the nightmare began to burn up from the inside, a horrifying screech coming from its thin mouth. Nelson stared on, filled with the kind of awe one might give an ancient god; impressed and terrified at once. The fire seemed to bleed into Max's very eyes, smoke rising from his fur as the nightmare attacking Sam shriveled up and turned to ash.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The moment the nightmare was gone, Max collapsed to the ground with a thud. Sam turned his head, blinking and confused, staring at Max through the glass, just as Geek yelled out:</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Dad!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>and rushed to Max's side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam wasted no time, rushing around to the same side Max was on, Sasha and Milla ducking into the doorway to get out of the way. Sam skidded to a stop in front of Max, not saying a word to anyone else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson stepped away. He didn't know why, but he felt like some space was a good idea here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam knelt down, eyes scanning over Max. Whatever he saw, he clearly wasn't happy with, but he said nothing, choosing instead to look around the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nightmares, right?" he said, not looking at anyone in particular, though Geek chose to answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mm-hmm."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam sighed. "Should've guessed." He turned to Max. "Max? I'm just gonna pick you up, pal, okay?" Sam lifted Max gently from the ground. In response, Max's breathing quickened, his hands scrabbling for Sam's chest, grabbing the soft t-shirt he was in. He buried his face in the shirt, shivering visibly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam readjusted himself so he was holding Max in one hand and holding Geek's hand with the other. Geek stood uncharacteristically close to their dad, seemingly just as shaken by this whole thing as Sam and Max were.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Everyone ready to leave?" asked Sam. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The group nodded, and they were off. Or out, depending of how you thought about it.</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>Nelson blinked himself back to reality again. Everyone was scattered around the room, with him and Guybrush on the ground still and Sasha and Milla just standing up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam, Max, and Geek were all on the bed. Max didn't look any better out of his brain than he'd been in it, and Sam was cradling Max in his lap again. He dragged a soft blanket around the lagomorph before turning to Geek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, kid.” He ruffled their hair with his free hand. “Looks like you’ve had a tough time too, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They nodded, not saying anything, clearly holding back tears. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam held out his free arm for them, too. “You did a great job, sweetie. I’m proud of you, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek just nodded into their father’s side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam pulled away. “Can you hold on for just a little longer? I’m just going to get stuff for Max, okay, and I think he’d like you to keep him company. Think you can do that, or do you want someone else to?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Geek shook their head. “I- I can do it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s swell.” He placed Max down on the bed as he stood up from it. With the lagomorph no longer tucked into Sam’s chest, Nelson could see he was clearly awake, eyes wide open but staring panicked into his own knees. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson just stood awkwardly, unsure of how useful he could be. Guybrush looked around the room, idly switching hand illusions in a looping pattern- normal hand, green hand, bird hand, robot hand, hook again- as he often did when his mind wandered. Sasha and Milla appeared to be giving everyone a psychic once-over, stopping to talk to Sam as he got up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Psychic signals are coming back normal again, though emotional ones are still fluctuating for everyone.” Sasha turned to Sam as he stood in the doorway. “Including you, Agent. You should get some rest as soon as possible.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam chuckled. “Thanks, but neither of us are officially agents anymore. And I’ll rest once Max has his medication.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s he on? Could it have caused this-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam bat away the question with a hand. “Just antidepressants. He was on an anti-psychic for a little while too, but not recently enough that he could be getting withdrawal.” He lifted his hand again, and there was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>swoosh</span>
  </em>
  <span> from the other room as a door opened. The bottle of pills levitated towards him, twisting through the bend in the corridor and taking some dangerously tight turns. It landed safely, however, in Sam's hand, and with that, the detective marched off to the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a clinking of glasses and the sound of running water from the other room. Geek sat quietly on the bed, talking softly to Max but not touching him. They strangely seemed more confident now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Have you done this before?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could feel their glare through his mind, even without looking. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don't interrupt. But yeah, sometimes he gets overwhelmed like this, so Sam taught me how to help.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>...So he does the whole nightmare thing a lot too?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their glare was angrier now, offended on their own behalf. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm not a liar, Agent Tethers, I already said they haven't done this before. Max just does this during anything uh-</span>
  </em>
  <span> there was a pause as they remembered the right phrase- </span>
  <em>
    <span>that's intense. Too sensory.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ah</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He thought it best to leave them alone after that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam returned quickly with the pills, a glass of water, and some kind of snack in a little packet. "Thanks, Geek." He said, smiling at the kid. "Now just wait a second, okay?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mm-hmm." Geek shuffled out of the way, letting Sam sit back down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam said nothing as he sat down and unscrewed the cap on the pill bottle, but Nelson could see the expressions flicker across his face as if he was talking. Looking closely at Max, too, whose face was still mostly blank, he could see the faint twitching of his eyes, a movement of his mouth, a slight reangling of his ears as he seemingly replied. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His arms moved slowly as Sam handed him the glass of water, before he opened his mouth slightly, just wide enough to place a single pill in there. He gulped down the water in just a few mouthfuls before placing the glass on a bedside table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the first words he'd said all day, Max muttered, "I told you those taste gross just with water, Sammy."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And I told you that I wanted you to take ‘em </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> I started giving you snacks, knucklehead."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max huffed. "Hey, uh, not that we ain't grateful, but-" Max looked at the four agents currently watching him recovering from something pretty bad, pretty intimate, and very much happening-in-his-pyjamas- "you mind giving us a few minutes?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course," said Milla, and the group filtered out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Time passed. They sat awkwardly in the living room, somehow too intimate of a place even after having been in their minds. It was too easy, Nelson found, to start looking at someone's home the same way you looked at their brain; like everything was a puzzle to solve, some clue to tell you how they worked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was, however, generally rude to bring it up or look too closely, so he did his best not to. Still, there wasn't a lot he could do instead. Milla seemed to be meditating, Sasha's mind was unreadable as always, Guybrush was making little pirate themed illusions in the air. He couldn't do any of those things, instead pulling out a Rubik's cube from his pocket and going to solve it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lost track of time that way, to the point where he was genuinely surprised to hear Guybrush’s voice in his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey, Nelly-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson frowned at the nickname, thinking and saying nothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Fine. Nelson. I wanted to say something. You, uh. You did well back there. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nelson looked up to see Guybrush had a kind of sheepish but grateful look on his face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thanks for having my back, okay?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson smiled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Anytime.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just as he said (or, well, psychically projected) that, the bedroom door opened and everyone in there came walking out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sure, Sam, but just because it's not a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> idea doesn't mean it wouldn't be </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>funny-" Max was arguing passionately about something, a far cry from the eerie silence of earlier. He was also not wearing any clothes for some reason. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>What kind of person wears pyjamas but not clothes?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nelson thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And my point is that it would only be funny for the few seconds </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> we have to run."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max huffed. "Worth it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The small group of Sam, Max, and the Geek had come to a stop in front of the team of Psychonauts. Both sides looked at each other for a moment, silent and awkward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max was the first to speak. "Ugh, I hate stuff like this. It's no fun when you're on the thanking end and people have seen you looking like garbage." He crossed his arms. "I much prefer being the one getting thanked."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, there's no need to thank us-" began Milla, but Max held up a hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But." He said, like someone about to make an important speech, "You did help keep Sam safe, even if I had to take the final shot, and my kid's still okay, even if you did bring them into the nightmare room of two powerful and unstable psychics, possibly the </span>
  <em>
    <span>most </span>
  </em>
  <span>dangerous place to take them-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Dad, this is getting increasingly backhanded-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And!" He straightened up, psyching himself up to say the next part, "I am uh. Grateful. That you kept them safe. Because I…" He reached out towards Sam, who took his hand and squeezed it gently. "I care about them. A lot. So thank you all." He stared at the ground, blushing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam was just smiling at him fondly. "Same from me, really." He looked at the group. "Thanks. We really needed it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course," said Sasha. "We'll request a few days off for you for cases. New York can protect itself for a little while."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max snorted. "I could've taken any of New York's psychic underground even back in that nightmare."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Your own inflated sense of skill cracks me up, little buddy."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"...But maybe I'll let them get a head start for a few days. Just to make it fun." He gasped. "Oh, and it gives us time to upgrade the DeSoto! Geek, I had this idea for the car."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max and Geek wandered off to the kitchen, discussing an idea that seemed both horrifying and amazing. Sam lingered with the group of agents for a few moments. "I can't stay too long- I want to check they don't totally ruin the car, but." He nodded at the agents. "We'll see you round."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wasn't saying it to anyone in particular, but Nelson felt the urge to nod.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door leading to the office clicked and creaked open, and they could hear the one from the office to the corridor do the same. It was as good a signal as any to leave.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the Psychonauts bundled back into the car and started to drive away, Nelson couldn't help but compare the real New York to the dream one. He could see stores straight out of Sam and Max's minds, cracks in the pavement that matched ones in their heads. They did seem to know the city well, at least. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If there's anyone who should be protecting it, it's them</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The car left the city, out into long stretches of road. He had a feeling that wasn't the last he'd see of those two, and his feelings were usually right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And, to be honest, he especially hoped he was right this time.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading!! if you'd like to talk to me (especially about sam and max!!), you can find me on twitter @RougeTeeEee</p></blockquote></div></div>
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